


The Boys Are Here

by WitchBoyWriter



Category: Buzzfeed Unsolved (Web Series)
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - College/University, Cliche, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, I'm Sorry, It's platonic until it's not, M/M, Mutual Pining, On Hiatus, POV Third Person, Pining, Rating May Change, Slow Burn, might be OOC but I hope not, shyan, split POV
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-02-27
Updated: 2018-03-07
Packaged: 2019-03-24 15:58:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,029
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13814541
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WitchBoyWriter/pseuds/WitchBoyWriter
Summary: "Shane was obnoxious, freakishly tall, and ridiculously nerdy. And Ryan was pretty sure he was in love with him.""If someone asked Shane what he thought of Ryan, He would probably tell them how it was dumb that Ryan believed in ghosts, but not that he loved listening to his rants. He might call Ryan tiny, but wouldn’t admit how adorable it was. He’d say how easy it was to make Ryan smile, but wouldn’t admit he’d fallen for that smile."





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So, I'm not sure what my update schedule on this is going to be but I'm gonna try bi-weekly? Weekly? MONTHLY? Whenever I get motivation, I guess.
> 
> Also, coming chapters will be longer. This is basically a prologue.
> 
> This is my first BFU piece, my second RPF, and... honestly my first multi-chapter/plot fic. RIP my days of oneshots, I guess. . (@The boys-- I'm very sorry.) SO if it's awful, I'm sorry.
> 
> Also-- only edited/proofread by me, so if you see any errors or discrepancies please let me know down in those comments, yo.
> 
> Shameless self-promo:
> 
> BFU Tumblr: Shane-madone-with-your-shit.tumblr.com  
> BFU Discord: https://discord.gg/264fmEu

Shane was obnoxious, freakishly tall, and ridiculously nerdy. And Ryan was pretty sure he was in love with him. He probably had been since they met, if he was being honest with himself…

  
  


The two had first met in a history class during Ryan’s first year of college. Shane had come in on the first day several minutes late, sliding into the closest empty seat; the one next to Ryan.

Ryan glanced up at Shane, who flashed him a quick grin. The first thought that went through his head was, ‘Tall. This man is a fucking giant.’ the second thought he had was, ‘This guy is probably a huge dork.’ Later, he learned that Shane was a year above him, a history major,  and he was right. A huge fucking dork. Most of the jokes he cracked during the class would be missed if you weren’t right next to him. Which was both fortunate and extremely unfortunate for Ryan, because the class was pretty boring, and while Ryan wouldn’t admit it, Shane was pretty funny. Laughing during class wasn’t always great, Though it did seem like Shane was encouraged by the attention. 

 

Over the semester, the two boys got to know each other far better. Ryan learned that Shane lived on an apartment right off campus, and that while he didn’t share Ryan’s interest in the supernatural, both of them were interested in weird and creepy history, and both of them were interested in show hosting in the future. Shane told Ryan he was single, and Ryan wasn’t sure why his heart jumped at that, so he ignored it. 

 

They started eating lunch together mid-september. The first time it happened, Ryan figured it was a one-time thing. Ryan was eating with his roommate like he usually did, when Shane sat next to him. 

 

“Hey, is it cool if I sit here?” He asked, flashing Ryan a grin that made his heart inexplicably jump.

 

“Uh, yeah. Sure, dude.” Ryan said, moving his bag out of Shane’s way. Since then, it had become a daily thing. Ryan’s roommate made his own friends, and left the two to themselves. Occasionally, random people they knew would join, but usually it was just the two of them, filling the air between them with jokes and easy banter. Ryan felt as though he’d known Shane for years. It was crazy to think it had been so short. 

 

Ryan realized he was into Shane mid-October. He never really had an ‘ah-ha’ moment. It just clicked in his brain. He figured nothing would ever come of it, so ignored it, letting it slowly eat at his heart before it was entirely consumed. Every time he saw Shane, his heart leapt, and still, he never initiated anything. Just left it at lunches and classes. 

 

The first time the two planned to hang out outside the school didn’t come until November, and Ryan was taken by complete surprise. They were eating lunch as usual, and Ryan brought up that he lived too far to go home for break.

 

“I’m not going home either. Too much hassle.” Shane commented, shrugging. “I’ll probably just spend the whole time at home playing video games and watching Netflix, honestly.” He said, tone light. 

 

“My roommate’s leaving, so I’ll be on my own... I’m a little freaked out if I’m being honest.” Ryan admitted. This would be the closest he’d been to ‘on his own’ before, and he wasn’t sure if he was one hundred percent ready. Apparently this was obvious to Shane, because he immediately replied, 

 

“Oh, you can stay at my place if you want.” 

 

Which led Ryan to his current position, duffel bag slung over his shoulder, standing in front of Shane’s door. 

 

+*~*+

 

If someone asked Shane what he thought of Ryan, He would probably tell them how it was dumb that Ryan believed in ghosts, but not that he loved listening to his rants. He might call Ryan tiny, but wouldn’t admit how adorable it was. He’d say how easy it was to make Ryan smile, but wouldn’t admit he’d fallen for that smile.

 

That first day they met, Shane sat next to Ryan simply because he was there. The second, because he wanted to get to know Ryan better. By the fifth, it was because he was harboring a ridiculous, unadulterated crush on him. Immediately, he made a plan (‘flirt until he notices’) and put it to action. It wasn’t working, and he attributed this to the classroom setting, and changed his tactics.

 

Nothing was better than making Ryan laugh. He had a full-face grin, and a wheezing thing he did that Shane found absolutely adorable. And it was so easy for Shane make him laugh. He couldn’t tell if that was Ryan’s response to his flirting, or if he was earnestly that amused. Shane hoped it was the former, but either way, he loved it. 

 

When Ryan told Shane he was staying on campus for Thanksgiving, Shane immediately made the decision to stay, too. Not only would he be able to finally be able to spend more time with Ryan, but it would be  _ just the two of them _ . Which was both exciting and nerve-wracking to think about. So, the mention of Ryan on his own, paired with the worried expression on his face, led Shane to, without thinking, offer Ryan to stay at his house. And he never expected him to say yes. 

 

This all left him thoroughly unprepared, and frantically cleaning his apartment like a madman for three days straight. He had, by his count, about an hour to kill before Ryan would arrive. He flopped down on his sofa, letting out a relieved sigh. It had been far too long since the apartment was actually  _ clean _ . It was kinda nice.

 

Naturally, after about ten minutes of rest, the doorbell. Shit. Ryan must be early. He gets up quickly, fixing his appearance quickly before heading to the door to answer it. Sure enough, there’s Ryan on the doorstep, looking small, nervous, and adorable. Shane grins at him.

 

“Hey, come on in.” He says casually, and Ryan quickly comes in. 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "He goes to put a hand on Shane's arm, and is suddenly very aware how close they are. Their bodies are practically touching. His face flushes, but he ignores it."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whoop this is up sooner then I meant for it to be.
> 
> POV is going to switch each chapter.
> 
> BFU Tumblr: Shane-madone-with-your-shit.tumblr.com  
> BFU Discord: https://discord.gg/264fmEu

Ryan looks around the apartment once he’s inside. It was… far tidier then he expected, but other then that, nothing out of the ordinary. He looks over at Shane. 

 

“Did you clean for me?” He teases, and Shane shrugs, grinning.

 

“Hey, it was that or sleeping on my dirty underwear. I can mess it up again if you really want me to.” He says jokingly, and Ryan wheezes, a light blush dusting his cheeks. 

 

“You’re welcome to use your own nasty clothes as a pillow, but I’m all set.” He kicks his shoes off. “Where should I put my shit?” He asks.

 

“You can just throw it in my room if you want. Or leave it out here… I don’t have a guest room.” Shane replies, and Ryan considers his options. On one hand, keeping his distance from Shane’s personal space would probably be better for his heart, but on the other… That was an invitation to be in Shane’s room...

 

“I’ll put it in your room, I guess, keep it out of the way. Unless you’re planning on rifling through my belongings like the psychopath you are, Madej.” Ryan teases, trying to keep the conversation as far from serious as he could.

 

“That’s me. Certified psycho and aspiring Ryan Bergara panty-snatcher.” Shane has the biggest shit-eating grin on his face, and Ryan knows he’s just being fucked with, it doesn’t stop his face from going bright red.

 

“Shut up, Shane.” He says, rolling his eyes. “Show me where your room is.” Shane gives him a ridiculous eyebrow wiggle, before gesturing for Ryan to follow him. 

 

When they get to Shane’s room, Ryan drops his bag on the floor and looks around, watching Shane as he flops his lanky body onto the bed. “Wanna watch a movie or something?” Shane asks, forcing him to snap out of his staring. 

 

“Uh, yeah, sure.” He says, sticking his hands in his pockets and attempting to look relaxed. “What did you want to watch?” he asks. Shane sits up on the bed, shrugging. 

 

“I don’t know. You get to pick.” Shane shrugs. Ryan follows him out into the living room, and Shane turns the TV on and tosses him the remote. Ryan catches it. “I’ve got Netflix,” Shane says. Ryan heads over to the couch, sitting and flicking through movie titles. While he does, Shane lopes into the kitchen, preparing a snack, probably.

 

“What about a horror movie?” Ryan calls into the kitchen. Despite his fear of real life scary situations, horror is absolutely his favorite genre. It takes a moment for him to get a reply. 

 

“Uh… sure.” Shane calls back, though he sounds a bit uncertain. “You sure you can handle that, though?” The uncertainty is immediately replaced by teasing. Ryan rolls his eyes fondly. 

 

“One hundred percent. As long as it’s not real, it’s fine.” He selects a movie he hasn’t seen before, and waits until Shane returns. When he does, there’s a large bowl of popcorn held triumphantly in his hand. He sits, and places it between them, immediately grabbing a handful and shoving it gracelessly into his mouth. Ryan wheezes. “Fuckin’ Nerd.” he mutters, no malice in his words. Shane throws a piece of popcorn at him, and he laughs, throwing one back. He watches it bounce off of Shane and onto the floor, then watches him pick both thrown pieces up and eat them. He makes a face. “Gross.”

 

“What d’you want to to do, waste ‘em?” Shane gives Ryan a pointed look. “It’s my mouth, not like you’re using it.” 

 

“Whatever, dude.” Instead of letting himself think too hard about… whatever Shane had just said, or what it meant, Ryan hits play on the screen, watching the movie. 

 

With his random selection, Ryan apparently found the most cliche horror movie on the site. A typical slasher film, full of blood and just enough jump scares. Gradually, Shane hogs the popcorn onto his lap, and the two move closer together. Ryan barely notices he’s reaching into Shane's lap to eat the popcorn, he’s just watching the movie. He fully expects Shane to make fun of him every time he startles, but surprisingly, that doesn’t happen. He glances over at Shane at one part to see why, and is surprised to see Shane gripping the edge of the popcorn, jaw clenched as he looks at the screen. He goes to put a hand on Shane's arm, and is suddenly very aware how close they are. Their bodies are practically touching. His face flushes, but he ignores it.

 

“Shane, you okay dude?” he asks, and Shane actually jumps. 

 

“Fuck, sorry.” Shane stares down at the bowl in his lap for a moment, before standing up with it. “I'm gonna go get more popcorn...” He says, heading to the kitchen. Ryan frowns, watching him for a moment, before getting up and following him, leaving the TV on in the background. Shane glances over at him. “I’m not a huge horror guy.” He explains. Ryan shrugs.

 

“We didn’t have to watch it. I figured since you’re kinda the ‘tough’ one here, you’d be cool with it.” He leans against the counter. “D’you want any help with the popcorn?” he asks. Shane scoffs.

 

“Yeah, right. It’s a very meticulous process. You’d just burn it.” he says, grinning. Ryan grins back, perfectly willing to change the subject for Shane. He shoves him playfully in the arm.

 

“Shut up. I can make popcorn just fine.” Ryan says. Shane shoves him back lightly, laughing softly.

 

“Sorry, you must be this tall to use the microwave.” he teases, holding his hand a few inches over Ryan’s head.

 

“Oh, fuck you.” Ryan rolls his eyes in fake annoyance, swatting Shane’s hand away and heading back to the living room. “Hey, you have Mario Kart, right?” He asks. 

 

“Yeah, it’s in the cabinet next to the TV stand.” Ryan could hear the slightest hint of relief in Shane’s voice. It was refreshing to see a more human side of his friend.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> " Ryan is so close to him, though, and the selfish need for that closeness wins. It would be so easy to just reach out to him. To sling an arm over his shoulder, lean on him… He doesn’t notice how hard he’s thinking about this until Ryan’s voice breaks through. Shane jumps. Fuck."

Shane and horror movies… don’t get along, to put it simply. Some people liked being scared, like Ryan. Shane is not one of those people. He hates the feeling of being on edge, waiting for something bad to happen.  

 

So naturally, he throws this all out the window when Ryan asks him to watch a horror movie, and does whatever he can to make Ryan happy. God, he’s got it bad. 

 

As the shitty, cheap, Saw-esque movie continues, Shane finds himself practically hugging the almost empty popcorn bowl. When he realizes this, he considers putting it back in the middle. Ryan is  _ so close  _ to him, though, and the selfish need for that closeness wins. It would be so easy to just reach out to him. To sling an arm over his shoulder, lean on him… He doesn’t notice how hard he’s thinking about this until Ryan’s voice breaks through. Shane jumps. Fuck. 

 

He busies himself with making more popcorn to prevent himself from doing anything stupid, and of  _ course  _ Ryan follows him. Because that’s the kind of sweet, caring guy he is. Once Shane finally manages to convince Ryan he’s fine and that he doesn’’t need help, he makes the popcorn quickly, and brings it back into the living room. 

 

He pauses for a moment in the doorway, just watching Ryan. he was on his phone, obviously waiting for Shane. His face is close to the screen, and he chews absently on the corner of his lip. Adorable. 

 

Shane comes in and flops down on the couch before his friend can notice his staring. He grabs the controllers off the table and passes one of them to Ryan, keeping player one to himself. They grin at each other, and Shane’s heart melts. 

 

“So, you’re gonna be Waluigi, right? You guys look the same, it’s perfect.” Ryan teases, and it brings Shane back to reality. He rolls his eyes. 

 

“I’m going to be Waluigi because he’s a wildly underappreciated character, not because ‘we look the same.’ Bet you’re gonna be Toad, though.” Shane teases back, and he  _ does _ select Waluigi. Ryan rolls his eyes.

 

“I’m not actually that short.” he says. “I’m almost 5’10”. That’s average.” Shane rolls his eyes at that.

 

“Whatever you say, little guy.” he replies. Ryan shoves him lightly, and he shoves back, both of them laughing. They go back and forth like this for a few minutes like this, escalating to popcorn throwing again. Shane grabs a big handful, and Rynan lunges over, grabbing his wrist to prevent him from throwing. 

 

“Okay, you win. I yield.” Ryan says, doing that adorable wheezy laugh of his. Shane grins at him, ignoring the electricity where their skin touched. He drops the handful back in the bowl. 

 

“Thank you.” Shane says, smug. Ryan’s hand was still wrapped around his wrist. It was all he could feel. It was distracting. He looks down at his wrist, and the contact immediately breaks, leaving his skin cold. He glances back up at Ryan, trying to quickly find a way to break the awkwardness. “Are you gonna try to rip my arm off everytime we disagree?” he lightens the tone of his voice, back to teasing. Ryan laughs, and the casual atmosphere is back, thank God.

 

“Only if my honor is on the line.” He teases back. He selects Mario on the screen, and they’re ready to play. 

 

“So, I think we need to play… every stage. In order.” Shane says with a grin, selecting the first one. Ryan grins. 

 

“Yeah, okay, but I’m gonna kick your ass.” Ryan replies, face still filled with that adorable grin. Shane rolls his eyes, pressing start.

 

“I seriously doubt that.” He says. Luckily, the level starts before they can escalate their banter any further. 

 

The two get through about a fourth of the game, and the full bowl of popcorn, before breaking. The two of them were almost tied, but Ryan was ahead by a few points. Shane stretches, Letting out a sigh as his back pops. “Hungry?” he asks Ryan. “We can order a pizza or something.” he suggests. He watches as Ryan stretches. His shirt rides up over his stomach, and Shane can’t help but stare. Jesus, Ryan was  _ ripped _ . He pulls his gaze away just in time, as Ryan looks at him, and grins.

 

“Pizza sounds fantastic.” he says, and Shane grins back at him.

 

The two agree on a plain cheese pizza. Shane calls it in, getting the two of them drinks while he does. He props the phone between his head and shoulder while digging through the fridge, pulling two cokes out. The girl on the phone tells him the price and wait time, they thank each other, and Shane balances the drinks in both hands momentarily, putting the phone away.

 

When he comes back into the living room, Ryan is up on the couch, feet up, taking up about two thirds of the couch. Shane sits in the remaining faction, tossing a soda can at Ryan, who catches it. “Thanks for all this… space you’ve left me.” Shane says in a light, sarcastic tone. Ryan laughs, and stretches out more, propping his feet on Shane’s thigh. Alright. Physical contact was always nice, even if it was feet…

 

“You’re welcome.” Ryan sasses back with a grin, and Shane swears, every one of those smiles adds a month to his life. Before he can focus too much on this, Shane changes the subject.

 

“So, pizza will be here in about 30 minutes.” He says. “Wanna play some more, or just chill?”

 

“Let's just… hang out for now. Take a break.” Ryan replies, opening his can and taking a drink from it.

 

“Why don't we like… actually get to know each other, huh? We've been sitting together since August and I feel like you're still kind of a stranger, even if it doesn’t feel that way..” Shane surprises himself a little with the suggestion, but Ryan just shrugs. 

 

“Sounds fun to me… got any pressing questions?” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, chapter four will be a bit later. I'm really inspired to do either Goldsworth/Tinsley or a pirate AU, so I'll be working on both. 
> 
> I haven't decided on Pirates or Ricky yet, though. (Tell me in the comments which you prefer!)


End file.
